Canon of beauty

From the moment of the birth of art, men searched for ideal forms and sizes that can be attributed to figures, subsequently expressed in statues. When we talk about nature or landscape, we more or less agree with what is beautiful and what is not. When we consider the body, we find a certain agreement, but with some important differences. There are cultures that consider the female body beautiful when it is round and abundant; and cultures that consider it beautiful when it is thin. In history, at least two ideals of female beauty coexist: one is the model of the Greek Venus that prevails today; the other is the Paleolithic Venus, thick, with large breasts and magnificent forms.

From the prehistory, we have many representations of primitive Venus, usually statues, where the woman’s face is only painted, while the typical forms of femininity: chest, hips and stomach are strongly distinguished, and are convex forms to indicate the maternal function of a woman. ^[one]

In modern thought, the concept of beauty is critical because it is aware of the variability of the idea of ​​beauty in the history of culture. Nevertheless, people continue to look for beauty, even in new and often contradictory forms.

The first to achieve the creation of the canon of beauty was the Greek sculptor of the early classical period Policlet the Elder (V century BC), who, after measuring various parts of the body for a certain number of men, came to the definition of the average measure, linking it with the ideal. Greek sculptor sculpts a perfect body, the proportions of which are close to the natural forms. After conducting research, the sculptor writes a treatise (Il Canone, from the Greek canon, which is the "rule" in which he describes the ideal proportions of the human body). Unfortunately, this work is lost. The essence of the concept was that it connects bodies of different sizes (wrist, metacarpus, fingers, forearm, arm, etc.) into symmetrical and proportional relationships.

Pythagoras was one of the first to express an aesthetic and mathematical vision of the universe: “all things exist because they reflect order; and they are ordered because they implement mathematical laws that are simultaneously conditions of existence and beauty. Pythagoras and Pythagoreans studied harmonious relations of numbers and proportions in art, in particular in architecture and music.

At this time, physical beauty was considered the possession of Evil, therefore it was presented only as an attribute of Madonna and saints. In relation to the body, the Church played a large role; it set the rules. In particular, male beauty was not such a valuable attribute, as in the classical period. The body was hidden under layers of clothing covered with drapery in order to hide its true form. Only Adam and Eve or Christ, whose bodies express the suffering associated with sin, were depicted naked. ^[2] Throughout the Middle Ages, Eve's sin was destined to weigh the fate of women and condemn her body as the source of sin. The process of Christianization coincides with the triumph of modesty and austerity . Fathers of the Church condemn baths and cosmetics, and the invasion of barbarians creates an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, which leaves little room for taking care of your body and appearance.

“Beauty is the greatest gift God has given to a human being, because through beauty we raise the spirit to contemplation ...” ( Agnolo Firenzuola , 1578)

Renaissance is the era of the triumph of beauty and the human body, based on harmony and proportions. This happens under the influence of various factors - the discovery of perspectives, the spread of new painting techniques, the influence of Neo-Platonism on the humanities. Beauty was meant as an imitation of nature in accordance with the rules established by science, and also beauty as a degree of perfection. Therefore, in the Renaissance, a new discovery of the body as a positive object occurred, focused primarily on women who seem to thrive and carry joy inspired by love. The man, on the contrary, is usually presented in a more realistic way, but less idealized.

The great Italian poets Dante , Boccaccio , Petrarch glorified female beauty in their works. In that era, a slender “swan neck” and a high forehead were erected to the rank of a standard. To follow this fashion, women shaved their hair and plucked their eyebrows, and in order to make the neck seem longer, they shaved their heads.

At this time, worship the "beautiful lady." Troubadours praise the kings of knightly tournaments, their delicate flexible camp, similar to the vine, blond hair, oblong face, straight thin nose, curly hair. A woman is compared to a rose - she is gentle, fragile, graceful. The male ideal appreciated by the epoch was found only in costume. ^{[3] The} elegant courtier is the most perfect type of man.

The great French revolution radically changed the ideal of beauty. At this time, in the fashion of naturalness and simplicity. In dresses, imitation of antiquity is noticeable. What is strange, a certain “soreness” began to appear in fashion: a pale face, thin hands and a waist.

In the second post-war period, after suffering, destruction and death occurred, the ideal of a feminine woman returns with provocative forms, underlined by generous cutouts, called pin-ups . In subsequent years, the ideal was considered Twiggy , a model of the late sixties, known for its slimness and childish face.